1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an emergency aerosol lubrication device, particularly for airborne engines.
2. Summary of the Invention
The aim of the invention is particularly to set forth a device enabling redressment of possible failure of the lubrication system of an airplane engine due to accidental drainage in flight.
This goal is attained under the invention due to the fact that the device includes a mechanism for placing a certain quantity of oil in a reserve, operator-controlled mechanism for atomizing oil in a container called an aerosol container connected to the points to be lubricated, a so-called feed member for supplying the atomization mechanism with oil drawn from the reserve, and a member for maintaining the reserve oil at an appropriate temperature for lubrication of said points, so that, in case of accidental oil drainage from the main lubricating unit, the operator may be sure of having emergency lubrication for a certain time.
Advantageously, the reserve storage member includes a closed compartment, called the reserve, enclosed by sides, of which at least a marginal upper portion is essentially oil-tight under low pressure, and a mechanism for admitting oil into the compartment, so that a reversal in the direction of the acceleration of gravity does not cause drainage of oil out of the compartment. The feed member includes at least one so-called feed conduit opening into the lower end of the reserve compartment.
The aerosol container is disposed above the reserve compartment, and the lower wall of the container has a depression at the lower point of which opens a conduit called the recovery conduit, the other end of which opens into the lower end of the reserve compartment, so that non-atomized oil coming from the atomization mechanism flows into the depression and, from there, into the reserve compartment via the recovery conduit.
Advantageously, the reserve compartment is only partially filled with oil so as to leave, at its upper end, a volume of air enabling the oil to expand without damaging the compartment.
The aerosol container is in permanent communication with the upper end of the reserve compartment by means of a communication line the cross-section of which is sufficiently small to prevent substantial leaks of oil out of the compartment in case of reversal of the direction of the acceleration of gravity, with the line enabling the reserve compartment to be placed at the same pressure as the aerosol container, so that a movement of oil is obtained from the container towards the atomization mechanism in the feed tube.
The reserve compartment is in permanent communication with the aerosol container through a connection conduit opening into the container, on the one hand, and, on the other, into the lower end of the compartment, and this compartment, which is in series with the container, forms a branch of the oil circuit of the main lubrication unit, so that such compartment is constantly crossed by the oil of the main unit and the oil it contains is kept at the appropriate temperature. The recovery conduit is also the connection conduit. The reserve compartment is subdivided into two superimposed chambers, interconnected by a valve. The feed conduit opens into the lower chamber and the upper chamber is connected to the aerosol container by a line, in which is placed a second valve. The first and second valves include a single clack valve, whose movement in the open position of the valves is controlled by the activation of the atomization mechanism.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood in reading the following description of two example embodiments and referring to the attached drawings, in which: